A Series of Fortunate Events
by Azeure
Summary: Bella Swan's best friend, Alice, is forced to move when her foster parents take in a new boy. With only each other, Bella Swan and Edward Masen grow closer than they thought possible.
1. Chapter 1

This is my very first original story, so bare with me, please!

(The Sunshine Behind the Clouds will be continued because it is an ongoing, plot-less story, so DON'T WORRY!)

All recognizable characters and themes are property of Stephenie Meyer.

this is an** ALL HUMAN** story.

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The wedding had been a private affair, taking place at the courthouse on Southmain street. My mother, Renee, had finally found someone to replace my father. Phil was an uptight and very formal man. I could never see myself getting used to him; he was not very fatherly at all. He was the type of man who belong in an office, not a home.

"Come on, Alice, we're going home."

"But, _Bella_!" she whined, just like a child.

Alice Brandon was my best friend, though she certainly did get on my nerves at some points in time. She constantly took me shopping to the mall, a place where I would never go under my own free will. She was beautiful, with short black hair, blue eyes and all the latest trends. She showed up on my doorstep bright and early every day to dress me; one of the most absurd ideas I had ever heard.

I, on the other hand, was also paled skin, but with brown eyes and brown hair. I was entirely plain, although Alice seemed to think I had an uncommon beauty that I allowed to go to waste.

I lived with my mother in Pheonix, Arizona; although I spent most nights at Alice's house. Alice didn't know her real parents, though. She was a foster child, living with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson for all her life. No new children had ever come to Arizona, so Alice never had to leave.

"The wedding is over, we need to get going!" I grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the courthouse. I had never been one for weddings; especially ones I was opposed to.

We were finally outside, walking on the sidewalks heated by the constant sunlight. It was a beautiful summer day; the beginning of August. I had already visited my father, Charlie, in Washington for a week. Therefore, Alice and I had the whole summer before ourselves to do what ever we wanted. Heaven, at last.

I took a deep breath. "What are we going to do with our summer this year, Alice?"

She gasped. "We'll go to the park, and get ice cream, and go rollerblading, and go shopping, of course. Then we'll go swimming in the Anderson's pool, then we can watch scary movies! Oh, I can just see it now!"

Thinking of all the things Alice and I were going to do made me begin to skip down the sidewalk, humming showtunes as I went. Until I tripped, falling downwards into a white silk and black lace heap.

"Oh, Bella. Get up!" She scolded me. "You're ruining your dress."

We wore matching white silk dresses with an outer black lace corset. It was old fashion, of course, but that was to be expected when you let Alice plan your wedding. It seemed silly, really- allowing a 17 year old girl design your wedding, but my mother thought nobody but Alice was fit for the job.

I scoffed, jumping up to smooth my dress. "Relax."

She rolled her eyes and proceeded to the front door of her house. "I have to clean my room, but I'll call you later! Kay?"

"Okay." I sighed, continuing towards my house where I would have to deal with the newly weds.

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I was waiting by the phone at 7:17, the usual time Alice called me at. I was avoiding having to help my mother find a place for the wedding gifts, because I knew we had no room already.

Minutes ticked by. As 7:20 rolled around, the phone began to ring. It was unlike Alice to ever be late.

"Alice?"

I heard her sniffle on the other end of the line. "Bella."

"Are you okay?" I panicked at the sound of her tortured voice. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, no, no. Nothing." She brushed it off, even though she knew I could tell that was a lie. "There's going to be a new boy moving in with the Anderson's."

That was a surprise. Nobody ever moved here, especially no foster children. "Really? What's his name?"

I heard a muffled sob. "Edward Masen. He's the Anderson's nephew or something."

I waited, knowing she was about to break.

"Well, the Anderson's said right now they can only afford one child... so..." She began sobbing freely this time.

"Oh, no! Alice, no! Please tell me you're kidding!" I begged with her, pleading that my best and only friend wasn't leaving me.

"I wish I was."

And all at once, my entire world fell upon me.

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Like I said, I've never done this type of story before. So let me know if you like, other wise I'll stick to my series of one-shots only.

Edward, etc. comes in soon. I'm not sure how I'll tie the other Cullens in though. Alice will still be in touch with Bella, so don't worry.

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer.

Now things start falling into place... ish.

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I walked down the street, stopping and sitting on the lawn of the Anderson's. Whenever they weren't home, I would sit on their lawn and think about Alice and how much I missed her. 

Before she left, I promised to dress like she would have dressed me. So, I had picked out her favorite that morning; the white summer dress with vines sewn on it. As I sat on the freshly cut grass, my tears began to stain the dress, absorbing the misery I felt.

I heard the front door open behind me. With no cars in the driveway, I had expected the house to be empty. I had never intended on the Anderson's acknowledging the fact that I wallowed in my remorse on their front lawn.

I whipped my head around to see my mother, with a scowl on her face, standing on the doorstep. "Isabella, you should be at home! But while you're here, you ought to come in and welcome Edward. I was just helping him move in."

My breath caught in my throat. Surely I remembered Edward, the cause of my pain and misery. "No, I won't. I'm going home." My voice came out sharper than intended, yet I felt no regret.

"Now, Bella. That is absolutely no way to speak. You have no right to-" She stopped short as I stood and stalked off in the opposite direction.

I heard her voice in the distance, sounding apologetic. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure what's gotten into her. It's nothing personal, she just really misses Alice, you see..."

Her voice trailed off as I approached our house. I opened the door and walked past Phil, laptop open on the dinner table, asking where I'd been. He had no right to know.

I locked my bedroom door behind me and sat myself down on my bed. I was miserable without Alice. She had left a month ago, leaving me alone in this desolate town. And it was all Edward's fault. If _he_ hadn't moved here, then she wouldn't have moved away. It was an entirely logical explanation. Therefore, I had a right to hold a grudge.

I spent my night like I spent most of them, sitting by the phone- waiting for her call. It seemed as though she had dropped off the face of the earth; leaving me hanging by one string of hope that was slowly breaking with time.

The future seemed to blur as though nothing mattered anymore, because it really didn't.

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My alarm clock rang in my ears telling me to get an early start on my Saturday.

I threw back the covers, revealing the outfit I wore yesterday. I had forgotten to change. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I opened my closet door. Dresses, dresses, and more dresses hung on the hangers in front of me. I slammed the door and opened my dresser drawer. Finally, I picked out a pair of white Capri's and a light purple shirt that could have passed off as a dress. It was nice, just not very comfortable.

Being only 7 in the morning, my mother was still asleep and Phil was at work, of course. I quietly crept out the front door, heading towards the park with my Nancy Drew book. It was just getting light, and I was hoping the little kids wouldn't be out to play yet.

As I approached the bench, I was relieved to find it empty. After flicking off the bird droppings, I sat and began to read. The pure, uninterrupted silence was relaxing.

"Nancy Drew?" I heard a soft voice come from the side of me. "Isn't that a bit, well, _old_?"

I looked up to see a boy, my age, with the pale skin and piercing green eyes. His bronze hair was in a casual disarray. He had a slight smirk on his perfect lips.

It was strange that I had never seen him before. I knew almost all the kids around here. "I happen to like old things."

He grinned. "Me too. Do you mind if I sit here?"

I scooted over and shook my head. I closed the book as he took the seat beside me.

He was dressed in a simple pair of khaki jeans and a button up shirt with stripes. It was a dressy-casual outfit; Alice would have liked this boy.

I looked towards him to see that his eyes were watching me carefully, but they were happy and bright. "You seem lonely." He noted casually.

I sighed. My first reaction. Did I even want to tell this stranger my ridiculous problem? But he seemed to have good intentions. Although, they always did say looks could be deceiving.

"I am. My best friend moved away." Then I tried to draw the attention away from myself. "You don't seem too occupied, either."

He looked away towards the swings, moving in the breeze. "My parents died in a plane crash two months ago."

I gasped. "I- I'm so sorry..." I whispered.

I suddenly felt horrible, as though it was my fault. I knew it wasn't, yet I still couldn't shake the feeling. Here I was, acting so upset over my best friend's departure, when he was still living life after the _death _of his parents.

He turned back towards me and smiled lightly. "It isn't your fault." Then he looked back down again. "The hardest part is the lonely feeling. I have no parents, and I left all my friends when I move here. I only have my aunt and uncle."

And I had been right. Looks are deceiving. He wasn't the happy carefree boy I saw before me minutes ago. He was hurting more than he seemed to let anyone know.

I placed my hand on his. "We can be friends, then."

Before he could ask, I raised my pointer finger to silence him and answer his question, "Yes, even though we've just met."

His forehead creased. "I feel, for some strange reason, that I've known you much longer. I don't feel like we've just met at all."

I suppose that was a mutual feeling between us. I, too, felt as though we had been friends forever, as Alice and I had been. Could it have really been only five minutes before when I met him?

"Hmm, maybe it is true then..." I mused.

"What?" He asked, curious and distracted from the previous topic of despair.

"Reincarnation." I joked.

"Or maybe," He played along. "We both developed amnesia. Have you ever hit your head really hard in the past?"

I rolled my eyes. "I can think of a few times."

"Klutz." He muttered, laughing at me.

"You _must_ know me."

It was nearing seven thirty, and I assumed my mother would be waking soon. Although I really did not want to say good-bye, it was necessary that I did.

I looked toward the horizon and sighed. "I should be going before my mother realizes I'm gone.

He raised on eyebrow. "Snuck out? Me too. I suppose we really were destined to meet."

I leaned in closer, "Are we destined to meet again sometime soon?"

His eyes held mine for an immeasurable moment, seeming to see into my past. "Very soon."

He brushed a piece of hair behind my ear, increasing my heart beat. "Another time then."

"Goodbye-"

"Bella Swan."

"Goodbye then, Bella."

And he stood and strode away in the opposite direction. "Wait!" I called after him.

He paused and looked my way, tilting his head to the side.

"Are you going to remain a mystery, or will you tell me your name?"

He took a slight step forward, then smiled. "My name?"

I nodded slowly.

But the name that slipped from his lips was the last name I expected to hear, and the last name I wanted to hear.

"Edward Masen."

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I know it isn't much longer, but... I don't have an excuse. I just didn't write a lot. But I updated soon :D 


	3. Chapter 3

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Disclaimer: All recognizable themes and characters are property of Stephenie Meyer

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"Oh, Bella! He's just so perfect. The beautiful eyes, his perfect nose, and his sweet mouth. I just- I can't describe him quite right... he's so... so perfect." Alice sang excitedly into the phone. The minutes past of her chattering about _Jasper._ Her love towards him arose from the moment she arrived in Forks, Washington. Such a dreary town, she told me, but it was contained her only sunshine. She never even told me about her visits with my father. I heard about that from _him_.

"And that's why?" I whispered, "that's why you never called..."

"I-" She choked, "I'm really sorry."

I didn't answer.

I couldn't be sure if I should accept her apology. Had she known how much she hurt me? Was I the only one who was suffering? She seemed to throw all thoughts of me aside the minute she stepped off that plane. The minute she was out of my life; I was out of hers. How could I? How could I say 'It's okay', even though it wasn't?

She hesitated with bated breath. Moments of silence followed.

I played with the fabric of my white dress while I waited for her to say something, anything. I couldn't bare the silence, yet I refused to break it. I took an audible deep breath.

"Maybe I should call back... later?" She asked in her softest tone, "I don't want to keep anyone waiting..."

I smiled without humor. "Nobody is waiting for me Alice." Nobody _cared_ about me.

"Well..." I heard her hand clamp down over the phone and hiss, "I'm _coming". _She released her grip. "I have to go."

"You're already gone, Alice." And I hung up. Maybe she would call back, begging me to forgive her. Telling me that I was worth more to her than Jasper would ever be.

But the phone didn't ring again that day.

I tried my best to hold in the tears, yet my face turned red with the effort. I needed to cry; a sign of healing my wounds, not re-opening them. If I didn't have myself, I was all alone. The fabric of my dress absorbed my tears, staining my cover from the world. So I pulled myself together.

"Are you off the phone, Bella?" Renée called from downstairs. Her voice was excited. She and Phil were going to plan their honeymoon, clearly ready to leave me behind for a week. Only the Lord knew where they would be sending me.

I trudged down the stairs and handed it to her. "I'm going to the park."

She frowned at my obvious glum mood. She wouldn't let me bring down her good mood entirely, though. "Go welcome Edward on your way." She urged me once again.

I sighed. "No, mom. Not today."

I hadn't seen Edward since the first time a met him... a week ago. I had been in my room for the larger part of that time, pondering. Before I met him, I had the intentions of hating him, no matter who he was, after what he had unintentionally done to me. But how could I do that, after I swore to befriend him. How could I do that after all that happened to him?

But most of all, how could I do that to myself? I needed Edward, whether I was willing to admit it or not. We met for a brief moment, but we both felt the connection their. And he was the only person I had. My best, and only, friend was gone. Forever.

"Well be back before dinner, sweetheart."

I suppose I could have headed directly for his house, to begin with, but I decided to go to the park first. Maybe things would be clearer if I made my mind where we first met. The feeling of solitude would be missing with the many children on the swing set, but I would finally come to a full circle. I only hoped an old couple wouldn't be occupying it before me.

I reached the park in a matter of minutes, walking towards the bench with it's back towards me. The first thing I noticed was the figure of someone sitting in that very spot. The spot I _needed_ to sit in. Perhaps I could have found a way to persuade them to leave, but my original idea was foolish anyhow.

I walked in front of the bench, though, hoping to get a look at who was sitting in the seat. The head was in their hands, sitting in a distraught position. Yet I noticed of all things, the bronze hair which made my heart pound.

I took the seat beside the boy and waited patiently for him to lift his head, knowing he would soon feel my presence. Just as I predicted, his head slowly lifted and turned in my direction.

The beautiful green eyes that met with mine took my breath away. "Edward," I whispered.

His eyes widened as a grin slowly crossed his face. "Oh, Bella!"

I smiled at his reaction, happy to know that he seemed to miss me as I missed him. Though I'm sure I missed him more.

"You're finally here..."

I titled my head to the side in confusion.

"I came here every day, waiting for you to come, but..." His voice trailed off.

Understanding washed over me as I finished his sentence, "I never came."

He looked away from me, as though he was embarrassed to admit his desire to see me. "You could've come to my house, you know."

His eyebrows shot up in disbelief as though I was missing something obvious. "I don't know where you live."

"I suppose we should fix that sometime then."

He smiled at me. I wasn't sure what to say next, so I looked away, at all of the children around us playing with their parents. I sighed wishing we had a bit more privacy.

He looked in the same direction as me and understood why I sighed.

His placed my hand in is pale soft one, and gently tugged on it as he stood. "Shall we go to your place?"

I debated whether or not I should just say no to avoid a certain situation or not. "Well, I, um-"

"It's okay! We can go to my house." He noticed the fact that I really didn't want to tell him something, so he didn't make me. He was more of a gentleman than anyone else I knew.

"Thanks." I breathed. "Its just my mom might get suspicious and things..."

He laughed in understanding and began to walk, our hands still intertwined

Pausing for a moment, he turned towards me again. "My aunt and uncle aren't home... will that make you uncomfortable?" I could see the hope in his eyes, hope that I would say no.

I raised my eyebrows and started laughing. In a minute I felt him shaking with laughter beside me. "I suppose I can take that as a 'no'."

But as we headed forward, I was still uncertain. Should I forget everything I know about Edward Masen?


	4. Chapter 4

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**Sorry I haven't responded to reviews lately, I've been so busy! I usually do respond though, so I'll be getting back into the habit.**

Disclaimer: All recognizable themes and characters are property of Stephenie Meyer.

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We entered that house that used to be my second home. The feeling of happiness still remained, yet things were different. It was like looking back at your old elementary school and realizing how different it looked in your eyes back then. Yet the time span was only one month, and the feeling broke my heart. I stopped to run my fingers along the frame of an old photo of me and Alice after our first communion. We were so young and happy. Everything changed for the worst. 

Edward returned to my side and put his hand on my shoulder. "You miss her," he whispered in my ear, "More than you're telling anybody." His words, though a simple statement, were comforting and soothing. It was a signal that I was finally understood. I tried desperately to hold in my tears, but one manage to escape through my efforts. He caught it quickly, though, and wiped it away.

"Don't cry." He pleaded.

I looked down at the floor, my eyes trailing along the mahogany wood we stood on. "I'm sorry, I-"

He put a finger to my lips and smiled. "You don't need to explain. I know what you're feeling."

"But you lost more than me... and here I am, crying. I'm so sorry, Edward." He pulled me against his chest gently, stroking my hair to calm me down. Though we may have looked different to prying eyes, it was a gesture of friendship. The feeling between us was not one of a secret love, or a wanting of _more_ than just friendship. It was friendship. And that was all. But friendship meant more than going to the movies together. It meant caring, and that's exactly what we did.

Things had moved so quickly. Upon the second time of meeting, we were in each others arms. It was strange to think of how alone I felt that morning and how whole I felt that afternoon. We had so much to learn about each other but we had so much time. Time enough to spare a few days on sitting and thinking.

He pulled away after a few moments of allowing my tears to land on his clean shirt. Without a word he placed his hand back in mine and pulled me along up the stairs into the room that lay across from Alice's. I didn't dare look inside to see how they had changed it... I wanted to remember it the way it was.

The door opened to show a golden shaded room. The thick carpet was gold, matching the lighter tone of the golden walls. A large window was in place, casting light across the the space and warming the black leather couch which sat against the wall. In the center of the room was a bed with golden blankets and pillows. The color was not over-whelming, though. It made felt warm and at home. The most noticeable furnishing was the clearly expensive stereo system matched with rows and rows of endless Cd's.

As we took a seat on the couch I laughed. "Into music?"

He grinned back at me. "Yes. And I play piano too."

"Really? Do you have one?" I knew there was never a piano in this house before Edward's arrival.

"Its a grand piano, in the living room downstairs. Maybe I'll play for you sometime."

A moment of silence passed between us. It didn't feel awkward on my part, because I thought about Edward the entire time. His soft hair and bright green eyes just drew you in... he was _beautiful_.

"Tell me about Alice." He whispered, hoping, you could tell, not to upset me.

I paused for a moment. I was going to try with all my strength not to cry. But I had very little strength, to be honest. "She was... amazing. I mean, she was filled with energy. All the time. She was never sad, except when she found out... well, you know. She could have had so many friends, yet she chose me over anyone else. I never knew why, though. We were best friends for as long as I can remember. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson took her in when she was really little and never got any other kids. She _loved_ to shop more than anything. The largest portion of my wardrobe came from her. She didn't know her parents, but she was given a lot of money in a bank account. The Anderson's would never take any, though, to pay for her necessities. She probably could've stayed if they had... Anyways, she was really great. She was my best friend."

Edward was smiling. "She sounds really great. Have you talked to her recently?"

"I- well- Yes. Today, actually. She hadn't called because she met a boy... Jasper. This is sort of scandalous, but they _live_ together. She's adopted, now. They all were. Well, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett, I mean. Rosalie is Jasper's sister and she's married to Emmett. Now Jasper and Alice are starting to come together. It's really strange. My father talked highly about them- saying they're polite and well rounded. I met their father, Carlisle Cullen, during my many trips to the hospital when I visit my real dad in Forks, Washington. Carlisle is a doctor and my dad is the sheriff. They know each other pretty well."

Edward's eyebrows were raised. "Wow. That really is... strange." We laughed together.

"I'm sorry." He looked down, his eyes filled with sorrow that he didn't want me to see.

"For what?"

He looked back into my eyes. "For taking her away from you."

My jaw dropped open. I couldn't believe he was blaming himself. Then again, I had blamed him too, before I met him. But I was thinking irrationally; He should know better! "Edward, this isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself. Besides, I would have never met you if you hadn't moved here."

He didn't respond, so I decided to take the guilt off of his mind.

"So... will you tell me about you now?"


	5. Chapter 5

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Sorry it took so long. It's so hard to write this story. Some Authors can write 13 pages every other day, and I give you guys practically nothing once a month. I'm horrible, aren't I?

**Disclaimer:** All Characters are property of Stephenie Meyer.

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"No!" I gasped, laughing. "Did she really?"

He was shaking the bed with his laughter. "Yep. And she made a fool out of herself!"

"No kidding!" I shook my head at the mental image. "Wow, Edward. You've gotten yourself a nice fan-club!"

I heard him groan.

For the past 2 hours, Edward and I had been talking about his past. He went in to more detail than me, telling me all about life in Chicago. I heard a lot about his mother and father, but that topic was hard for him. So, we spent the majority of the time talking about lighter subject, such as the girls in Chicago who constantly swooned over him.

I had to admit, though, I really couldn't blame them.

"So..." he trailed off suggestively. I was missing the hint, apparently.

"So what?"

He smirked. "I believe it is your turn to tell _me_ about _your_ dating history."

I could feel the blush rise in my cheeks. I had enjoyed listening to Edward's stalkers in Chicago, but telling about my past wouldn't be too enjoyable. I hadn't dated anyone. Edward hadn't dated anyone either, yet he had plenty of people who were _interested_ in him. We weren't in the same scenario.

"Well..." I began hesitantly, "I haven't really dated anyone." It ended up sound more like a question.

He sat up quickly, turning to narrow his eyes at me. "You're lying."

We both lay across his bed on our backs, our breathing in sync. My eyes observed the light pattern of his ceiling studiously. In the few moments of comfortable silence I wondered when Edward's aunt and uncle would arrive. We were enjoying ourselves and I prayed their disruption waited until time came for me to leave, regardless.

I sat up as soon as he did. "I am not lying. Why would you think so?"

His eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Look at yourself. _That_ is why, silly." He shook his head at my lack of comprehension.

It took a minute for what he said to sink in. Was he actually calling me, well, _pretty_? I laughed quietly at his observations. "I don't know what you're trying to say, Edward Masen, but I'm certain it isn't true."

"Blind." He muttered under his breath.

I lay my head back down on his bed and went back to thinking. My eyes closed as I began to wonder what my mother and step-father might be doing at the time. I pictured Phil on the phone, talking to a client- or possibly planning the honeymoon. Perhaps he was choosing the destination to ship me off to? Or perhaps he wasn't worrying at all. He could ship me off, like a wicked step-father, to any old place. Out of sight, out of mind. I'm sure that was his motto when it came to me.

Then I pictured my mother. I heard the door crack open, so realistically, as she called up to Phil. "We're home!"

Why, though, my mother said _'We're_ home' was a mystery.

"Shoot!," Edward muttered beside me. He shook me violently. "Bella, Bella! Get up! You need to hide!"

I sat up quickly and lost my balance as my head spun. He jumped off of the bed and helped me up.

"Why? What's wrong?" I hissed.

He searched frantically for something I knew not of. "Umm. Bella, I need you to get under my bed. Quickly, please."

I looked at him skeptically. "Edward, there is no-" But I was cut off as he pushed me down and under his bed (which, thankfully, was clean as a whistle).

"My aunt and uncle are home. Be silent."

I heard a knock on Edward's door, and the squeaking sound of the hinges immediately following. "Edward! Where are you?" Mrs. Anderson's soft voice came from the distance. She was an awfully nosy women, I learned that from past experiences. Alice never wanted to play Truth or Dare when she was home, but I didn't mind so much. It wasn't as though Mrs. Anderson had anything to do with the information.

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were in their mid-thirties. They were younger than most "parents", but they couldn't have children. Therefore, they took to adoption and foster care. They were the nicest guardians you could ask for, regardless.

"Oh, hi Aunt Marie." I had forgotten Edward referred to them as Aunt Marie and Uncle Charles. I was so used to Alice calling them "Mom" and "Dad".

"Sorry we were out so late, Edward. Your uncle and I will be getting dinner started soon." Could it already be dinner time? "We'll be in the kitchen if you need us, sweetheart." And with that, the door closed.

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding in. In a flash Edward pulled me out from under the bed. He held my hands in his. "I'm so sorry about that. I didn't want to stuff you under the bed like that."

I smiled. "No worries. But, hey." I looked down away from his eyes. "I should get going. I need to be home before dinner..."

"Oh." He frowned. "How are we supposed to get you out of here?"

I smirked. "Don't worry. I've done this so many times when Alice was grounded. Go in the closet." I instructed him. "And that little space back there? Yeah. That one. Pull out what you reach."

His hand was dug in the back of the closet. "I can't... wait, never mind. I feel it." He pulled the rope out and shut the closet door behind him.

I took it over to the window. "I need your help pulling this out. Quietly, though." I pointed towards the dresser.

His eyebrows rose infinitesimally. "The bureau?"

I nodded. We pulled it back slowly. Then, I stuck one end of the rope between the wall and the bureau. "Now push it back as tight as you can against the wall."

Finally, I stuck the other end out the window. "I guess this is good-bye for now?" I asked sadly.

He grinned. "You're a genius. We'll see each other soon."

I sat on the edge of the window and grabbed the rope. I swung my legs over and started to climb down. "Be safe!" He called to me.

I looked back up but he was nowhere to be seen. I thought he might _at least_ stay and be sure the rope didn't give out. His aunt must have called him for supper, though. I continued to climb down, without looking towards the ground. I was slightly afraid of heights.

I loosened my grip on the rope and began to slid down. Not the brightest idea. My hands immediately felt the burn, and, without thinking, I let go. I held my tongue for Edward's benefit as I fell downwards.

I couldn't see the ground the way I was facing, which didn't help me prepare for the impact. The impact I was expecting, though, never came.

I felt myself land, but on something softer. I opened my eyes and looked beneath me.

There lay Edward smiling, despite the pain I'm sure he felt. "I'd have to give you a low score for that landing, Bella. It was a bit rough."

"I'm so sorry!" I cried as I got off of him and helped him up. "I had no idea..."

He brushed off his pants. "No, it's okay. You didn't know I was there. I told my Aunt and Uncle I left something at the park, and I ran out here to make sure you landed safely."

I smiled. "Well, I suppose it's a good thing you did. Well, good for _me. _Not so good for _you._" We laughed together.

Suddenly he looked thoughtful.

"Yes?"

"Well..." He smiled. "I thought I'd walk you home tonight."

I smiled. "You're so sweet, Edward."

Almost too sweet to be true.

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I don't think I asked you guys.

How do you feel about Robert as Edward?

He doesn't work for me. Sorry.

**To those of you who also read _The Sunshine Behind the Clouds_ sorry I didn't respond to your reviews! My e-mail was down!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer.

Happy New Year, all!

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"Bellaaaaaa." His sweet voice murmured. "Are you _listening?"_ The hand that was holding mine tightened its grip gently for a moment. I could feel his slightly fast pulse, and his quick breathing in the quiet on the street. His eyes were soft, yet bright with some sudden emotion. And, _God,_ we were so close. Our bodies were so close on that small side walk.

But nobody moved aside.

Nobody asked the other to step away.

"Maybe." I whispered back. The cars on the street were one every hour. The only sound was of the birds in the trees singing their sweet song as we walked. The only sound was of our hearts pounding in our chests. All else was silent.

"Is that your house?" He pointed with his pale finger and eyes locked on mine.

I never looked away as I answered. "No."

His mouth twisted into a frown and he dropped his free hand to his side. "Are you sure? Thats what your mom said."

He seemed to break me out of his trance with the mention of sweet Renée. I looked ahead at the houses before us. "The light yellow one. Thats mine."

He shot me a weird look. "Thats what I said."

A silence was cast over the next few moments. Edward continued to stare at me with that strange expression on his face, and I continued to look at the ground ahead of us, watching him from the very corners of my eyes. He seemed to take a small step closer to me, which I would have thought to have been impossible.

And in the moments of silence, I prayed to the Lord my hand wasn't becoming too sweaty because I _really _didn't want him to let go.

And before Edward could break the silence, I did it myself. "Shouldn't we walk faster? Your aunt will be worried. It doesn't take this long to get the park." I forced those words out of my mouth though I really didn't want to say them.

He nodded silently and we continued walking. But we never sped up.

The yellow old house with the brick driveway was getting closer and closer. I had the bitter taste of goodbye in the back of my throat. I had to remind myself that it was only a farewell. Until next time, if you will. But my heart beat did not slow, and my thoughts did not stop racing. And that gosh darn taste did not leaving my mouth.

"Tell you mother I said 'hello'." He whispered before releasing my hand.

"Shouldn't you tell her yourself?" Which was just like me. Speeding things up in one moment, and slowing them down the next.

I could tell he was thinking the same thing and I expected that strange look again. But instead his lips parted into a slow grin as though things were beginning to dawn on him. "If I could, I certainly would. You understand."

Understanding was out of the picture. It slipped from my mind the moment it slipped in. His aunt could wait for a moment. His aunt could call the silent phone in his pocket. But next week was suddenly in the picture. And Edward was not in next week. Not if he was grounded for lying. Not if I got him caught.

"Well, then." I looked down at our hands still twined together between us.

"Until next time." He released my hand and mockingly bowed. Before my eyes could focus he was dashing off in the opposite direction.

"Farewell!" I shouted before he was out of earshot.

And Mrs. Parkinson next door stopped hanging her clothing on the line to look at me. Her eyes flashed between the two of us.

"Young love." She murmured to herself. "The most beautiful experience life has to offer."

At dinner Phil cleared his throat. "Isabella. Did you know your mother and I will be going on our honeymoon soon?"

My mother grinned and took his hand between their plates.

I looked up at him in disbelief. To begin with, was he really still calling me Isabella? And second. Did he think I knew nothing of their honeymoon? My voice was slightly sharper than I intended when I finally spoke. "Yes. I pay attention to things around here, unlike others."

"Oh, Bella!" Renée's voice rang in my ears. "Shush."

Phil looked a little flustered when he noticed how she called me _Bella._ 'Yes!' I wanted to yell. 'That is what people call me, incase you haven't noticed!'

"Well," He continued. "We wanted to know if there was any friends here you would like to stay with. Or we could fly you to Charlie's."

I weighed in my options. Charlie's would be awkward between us, and I had already been there this summer. Surely I wouldn't want to slow down his life any further. And Alice was the other issue (if you could call her an _issue_). I couldn't honestly forget the way she replaced me.

Although, meeting Jasper might be good for me.

And then I could stay here. Right where I was, only a few houses away in a different block. Who was I to stay with, though? The first friend I though of was Edward. Immediately I wanted to blurt his name out. But for two reasons I couldn't. First was the most complicated one. Renée didn't even know we had met. I could explain it, but then I would need to explain why I lied, and I wasn't sure of that myself. The second reason was the must obvious and blunt. He was a boy. I couldn't possibly share a place with a _boy_.

So I created a brilliant plan. Lying to Renée about meeting Edward was the best thing I had ever done. Even if I hadn't known it then.

I spoke quickly hoping my voice didn't give away anything. "Could I stay here with the Andersons? You know they're like a second family to me after all that time I spent when Alice was around. And I could even use her old room! Could I Mom? Dad?" I threw in the 'Mom' and 'Dad' to butter them up. It had to work.

Renée looked at me with a curious expression. "Well..." She looked towards Phil with desperation.

"I think it would be a fine idea, _Bella._" He accentuated the 'Bella' for obvious reasons.

My mother looked slightly worried. "Well, sure. Get to know Edward. But behave, Bella!" She obtained a stern look before she was done. "We're trusting you with this boy. Do you hear me?"

I threw on the subtle innocent look. "Of course, Mom. Besides, you know how watchful Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are..."

Renée turned back to Phil and squealed in delight. She threw her arms around him. "We're going on our honeymoon!"

I slipped out of my seat and up the stairs silently as they grew comfortable in their embrace. As soon as I reached my room I dialed the Anderson's number.

As the phone was ringing I remembered Mrs. Parkinson's words.

_Young love. The most beautiful experience life has to offer._

_

* * *

_Not longer, but quicker. I have a project to do before we go back to school (tomorrow). Hopefully I get a good grade!


	7. Chapter 7

I am so so so sorry for the delay. I have this competition coming up called the We The People competition and its all about the Constitution and American government and it is extremely hard to prepare for. I've been working so hard for that and I apologize that I haven't update. The actual state competition is March 1st (the day before my birthday, ugh) and then if we win that, we'll be going to Washington D.C for the nationals for a little while. Exciting, but very very time consuming.

* * *

The phone continued to ring in my ears. my shaking hand clutched the receiver by my bed. I could only pray Edward hadn't mentioned me to his aunt or uncle.

"Please, please pick up." I whispered, breaking the tense silence in my room.

"Hello?" I finally heard a voice on the other line. I immediately recognized that it belonged to Mr. Anderson.

"H-hi Mr. Anderson, it's Bella Swan."

"Bella!" I could practically hear the grin in his voice. "How've you been? We haven't seen you in so long!"

I laughed to myself. Well, Mr. Anderson, your wife almost caught me in your nephew's room recently! "I've been good, thanks. And speaking of seeing you guys... you know how my mother and step-father will be on their honeymoon moon?"

"Ah, yes." He murmured. "Tell them I said to enjoy themselves."

I silently wondered when the last time Renée had spoken to them was. Since Phil had come along, she was spending more and more time on him. The last time she went out was to welcome Edward and help him unpack. At that point, her was home alone. Renée used to be so close to the Andersons and now they had gone months without contact. They seemed to have drifted apart as Alice and I had.

"I'll tell them you said so." I paused for a minute, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

I sighed loudly and decided to get it out of the way. "Mr. Anderson, I have a question to ask you."

-

I had no idea as to what I was doing. Had I gone mental? The voice in my head told me I had. Why else would I be sneaking out in the dead of night? Only for Edward, the voice sighed, only for Edward. I jumped from the window, which was thankfully very close to the ground or I may have never gotten out. The flashlight batteries seemed to be dying, so I saved the energy while I still had some moonlight. I sprinted across the front lawn, my feet frozen from the dew on the blades of grass.

The dim streetlights ahead of me cast eerie shadows across the walkway, causing me to pick up the pace. My thin shoes made it so the hard-top was felt sharply beneath my heels. Couldn't Alice had left me with at least on pair of practical shoes?

I finally reached the house, out of breath and scared as hell. I picked up the nearest pebble and chucked forcefully it at the window. The whole idea seemed cliché, yet twisted in a certain way. It certainly wasn't traditional for the girl to be at the window.

Surprisingly, appeared quickly, obviously having been awake the entire time. His window flew open immediately. "Bella? Is that you?"

I nodded my head.

"Bella?"

"Oh! Yeah! Sorry. I forgot you couldn't see me nod." I blushed as he laughed.

"I'll be down in a minute." And he disappeared from my view.

He returned with the rope from the back of the closet in his hands. "Get ready to catch me if I fall!" He joked.

I laughed quietly. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Which means you should be prepared to hit the ground if you let go."

He chuckled as he climbed down. "Its okay. It's the thought that counts anyways. So what brings you to my window at this hour?"

I rocked back and forth on my heels. "Oh... no reason, really."

He grabbed the flashlight from me and shined it in my direction, careful to make sure I wasn't blinded by the light. "You're such a bad liar."

I grimaced and turned away from him. I was afraid to tell him I the news. Would he think I was getting too close, too fast? My heartbeat sped up. I never took all of this into consideration. What if he thought I was _creepy?_

He took my chin gently and turned my face toward his. I lowered my eyes to the ground like the coward I was. "So I hear you're sleeping over?"

My head shot up. I couldn't see his face, so I swung the flashlight around to face him. His eyes were bright with excitement. "You knew!?"

He laughed loudly. "Of course. My uncle told me right away."

My eyes widened. "Please tell me..."

"Tell you?" He hedged.

"Oh no, Edward!" I cried. "I'm not going to be able to sleep over because my mom thinks that we don't know each other and since you told your uncle that you know me then my mom will find out from him since they have to set up the plans together and then my mom will get furious and think I'm a liar and she will think I've been sneaking out and sleeping with you but really I just never actually told her for some strange reason and it worked out well but now since I never told you not to tell anyone she's going to ship me off to Charlie's and I'm never going to get to see you again!"

I could feel him shaking beside me. My heavy breathing took a minute to slow and I realized he was laughing at me. _Laughing._ "What could you possibly find so funny about this?"

He took a minute to relax and put on a straight face for me. "Bella, I honestly didn't catch any of what you just said."

I ground my teeth. "Did you tell your aunt or uncle that you know me?"

"Are you kidding me?" He replied. "They would think we would do inappropriate things while you were here."

I threw myself at him and hugged him tightly. "Thank goodness. You're the best, Edward."

He wrapped his arms around me. I could feel him grinning as I squeezed him tighter.

I could feel him shiver against me as the wind picked up and whipped my hair around us. "Should we go inside?" He whispered as I let him out of my grasp.

My eyes shot back up to his window and the rope that was now on the ground. "Impossible. We'd have to go to my house."

I grasped his hand and began running down the side walk. He easily kept pace beside me. "Are you sure we won't wake you're parents?"

I slowed down as we approached my lawn and put my hands on my knees to catch my breath. "Positive."

I hurried over to the window and tugged on the frame. The old window squeaked as it opened. My room seemed to be as dark as midnight. I could faintly make out the image of my bed pressed against the wall. Edward moved aside to help me climb in. I felt his hands grasp my waist as I slid through the opening. His hands slid down to my ankles as put my hands out from falling on the hard floor. I let out a yelp when I finally dropped. Edward followed behind me with ease.

"Where is the..." I spread my hands out and felt around blindly.

"The what?" Edward whispered right behind my ear. Frightened, I spun around quickly hitting something and knocking it over. We froze as we heard the glass smash on the floor.

"Shoot. Don't move." He ordered. I could feel him bending down to pick up the shards carefully in the dark.

"Edward. I think we have to- " I paused and heard foot steps down the hall way. "HIDE!"

I stepped back away from where the glass should have broken pulling Edward with me. I quickly felt what seemed to be my comforter and threw him under it, covering him from my parents. "Don't say a word."

He lay still beneath the fabric but I could still hear his heavy breathing.

The footsteps got closer and finally the light flickered on. "Bella? Bella?!? You okay?" In the doorway stood Renée, her hair a mess and her eyes half closed. I quickly looked towards my bed and saw the completely noticeable lump of Edward under the blankets. I frantically threw myself on top of him in a sad attempt to keep her from noticing.

"Yeah... that figurine fell over there."

She rubbed her eyes and gasped as her vision grew clearer. She shuffled over to the mess in her pajamas. "Oh, no! Not the sculpture I made for you at the art class! Oh Bella, how did this happen? Gosh. I'll have to clean this up..." She muttered to herself.

She shuffled back out of the room to get the broom and dustpan.

I rolled off of Edward and lay beside him. He pulled the blankets down away from his face and smirked at me. "Sorry." I frowned.

He shook his head chuckling. "I don't mind."

"Just a little longer." I covered him with the blanket and rolled back on top of him again. It was actually quite comfortable with him laying on his back, and me laying on my stomach on top of him. We sort of fit together nicely.

Renée came stumbling back into the room, obviously only half awake. She began to sweep up the glass as she turned to me. "You _could_ help, you know."

I bit my lip, not wanting her to notice what I was hiding. "Umm, I can't mom... my legs are asleep and I can't move them."

She finished picking up the glass and put it in a plastic bag to dispose of. With a look of suspicion in her eyes, she walked over to me. "Can't move them, huh? That's not natural." Her eyes narrowed. She was definitely fully awake now. I thought maybe she could hear my heart pounding in my chest. "Get some rest, Bella." She flipped the light switch, shut the door and left.

I waited a minute before breathing a sigh of relief and rolling myself off of Edward. I reached over him and turned the lamp on so we could see each other.

He sat up cross legged as I did the same beside him. Instead of resisting the urge, I leaned against him, laying my head down on his shoulder. "This is nice."

His arm wrapped around me. "I agree. Sneaking around like this certainly is entertaining."

I looked down at my patterned blankets. He had clearly misconstrued my words. I was referring to our current position, not the games we were playing with our families. I quickly shook my head to rid my self of my thoughts.

"So, listen. Make sure you don't mention me or anything, got it? And when we meet in front of our families make sure you pretend like we've never met."

He sent my heart into a frenzy as he put his lips to my hair. I could faintly make out the murmur of his voice as he spoke. "I hope this works." He slid down under the covers, laying down with me still in his arms.

I sighed contently and closed my eyes. "God, so do I."

* * *

I apologize x100000000 again. I hope that was a worthy chapter :/

By the way, Happy Vacation! (to those of you on February vacation this week)


	8. Starting New,

So, you all hate me, right?

That competition? Well, we won. So we're going to nationals in May.

Right now is a really hard time in school, and I can honestly tell you that I don't like this story. Heck, I don't even like the name.

So im putting it on hiatus.

I might not even continue it, though.

I have ideas of starting a new story, and that may happen soon.

The thing is, is that its easier to write a story you _enjoy_ because you're loving writing it. I'm constantly dreading writing this story.

I'm so sorry.

I have half another chapter done, and I would post it, but you'd hate me even more because of the cliff-hanger type ending I left it at.

So now, I'm starting new.

**New pen name** (Azeure)

New story, hopefully soon.

Once again, I'm so sorry.

Still Yours,

(ex-) mybrandofheroinn.


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